Late Henry double secures last eight place for France

Switzerland 1 (Vonlanthen 26)
France 3 (Zidane 20; Henry 76, 84)

Holders France secured a safe passage to the Euro 2004 quarter-finals when they overcame stubborn Swiss resistance to win their last Group B match 3-1 yesterday.

Thierry Henry's late double carried the French to victory after Switzerland had levelled Zinedine Zidane's early goal through 18-year-old striker Johann Vonlanthen, who became the youngest scorer in the tournament's history.

France topped the group and will play Greece in the quarter-finals in Lisbon on Friday.

The French took the lead after 20 minutes when captain Zidane rose virtually unchallenged at the near post to head in a right flank corner from Robert Pires. It was the playmaker's third goal of the tournament.

For a spell France threatened to add a second. Bixente Lizarazu's half-volley was deflected wide and Henry missed a decent chance from a Willy Sagnol cross by heading past the post.

Switzerland, fielding five in midfield in a reshaped team, equalised in the 26th minute, Vonlanthen latching on to a shrewdly-angled through pass from Ricardo Cabanas and sliding a low diagonal shot beyond Fabien Barthez inside the far post.

Vonlanthen, at 18 years and four months, was three months younger than England's Wayne Rooney when the latter scored against Switzerland last Thursday.

It was deserved reward for the Swiss for spells of good, controlled possession football, but they collected the first half's only yellow card when Hakan Yakin was cautioned for shirt-tugging on Pires.

Raphael Wicky followed him into the referee's notebook in the second half for a foul on substitute William Gallas as the Swiss defended their position resolutely. Henry was also cautioned for diving.

France, pressing forward, lacked guile and style and gave the Swiss defence a relatively easy evening. Pires ran through once but was crowded out and Swiss goalkeeper Joerg Stiel barely had a shot to save before Henry struck the French second.

The goal came immediately after the introduction of Louis Saha for David Trezeguet, the substitute flicking the ball on for Henry to slip past the goalkeeper from close range after 76 minutes.

Henry then sealed victory with a classic individual effort six minutes from time, cutting in from the left and beating Stiel with a cool low finish.

After match comments...

Coach Jacques Santini said France had to work hard to beat Switzerland 3-1 and reach the quarter-finals yesterday.

"It's not a relief but we had to go and look for this victory. These three matches weren't easy," said Santini.

Thierry Henry, who scored the final two goals for France, said: "We have been criticised, sometimes with justification. But the most important thing is to finish first in the group.

"I have great respect for Greece but it's nevertheless better to avoid Portugal."

Switzerland: Stiel, Henchoz (Magnin 86), Mueller, M. Yakin, Spycher, Wicky, Cabanas, Vogel, H. Yakin (Huggel 60), Gygax (Rama 86), Vonlanthen.

France: Barthez, Sagnol (Gallas 46, Boumsong 90), Thuram, Silvestre, Lizarazu, Vieira, Makelele, Pires, Zidane, Henry, Trezeguet (Saha 75).

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).

HT: 1-1.

Attendance: 28,111.